Tone producing and recording instrument.



PATENTED ABR. 9, 1907. o H. P. BALL. TONE PRODUGING AND RECORDINGINSTRUMB APPLICATION FILED DEO.11, 1903.

Q /QML l A TRNEY W w wllv.. llllll l|Illllllllllllllllllllll. .lllllllllIl f1 WITNESSES player upon an instrument not connected to UNITEDsrn'rns PATENT orrron.;

HENRY Peron-BALL, or soHENnoTADY, NEW'YQRK, AssrcNoR or oNE- nntrrosAMUnL rNsULL, or ori-renee, 1LLrNois.

Vroue Psonuome. AND 'aseos-DING. 'INSTRUMENn vI*'amines'Apen e, leonApplication filed December 11,1903.l Serial No. 184,815.

To all whom it Wawy-concern.-

Be it known. that I, HENRY-PRICE BALL, a

'citizen of theUnited States., res1u1ng at Schenectady, county ofSchenectady, State ofv'l\leW'Y' ork, have invented certain newA and'useful Improvements in Tone Producing and Recording Instruments, of,which the following is a speciiication.v f

My invention cons1sts in' the combination,

with the mechanism lot a piano, of a device which will v automaticallyproduce upon a moving' strip .of paper 'or other material a comleterecordv of the 'musical notes struck 'by t e erformer upontn'e1ano,"and, further, w ch will automaticary introduce a definitetimeinterval between the striking ol' a key or keysv by the performerand the recording of such note ornotes.

The object of my invention isto provide a recording device which willperform its function of recording withoutin any Wise in-l terferingWith'the touch of theperformer or otherwise with `the normal action ofthe piano mechanism.

Various vforms of perforating devices have been designed to be employedin connection with `a piano mechanism.' In all such devicesA cords,electric contacts, neumatic a ,have been if rectly connectedto the keysof the 'instrument.v lSuch devices by interfering with the normal actionof thepiano mechanism ina?- terially aHect the touch of' the with theresult that the record made is not such as represents the performance ofthe the keys of a piano or corresponding in?` strument and alsocontaining means for introducing a time limit between the vstriking of akey and the recording of the note struck.

My present invention makes use of the perforating mechanism described insuch former application, b ut diilers therefrom in that Va hammerY ofthepiano-action.

performer,

the erforatingmechanism while controlled by the keys of the'piano is notdirectly connectedto the ke sof the piano.

Put in still o/tlirer words, my invention con- -sists in introducingbetween the keys of a piano or other .tonepreducin`g instrument and aseries of perforating devices a series l" ation.

The accompanyingjdrawings will serve to illustrate` my invention.

. Figure 1 is a vertical section througha y piano mechanism andavperforating device.

ig.. 2 is ian enlarged side elevation showing theI relation between apneumatic-valve and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the valve.Fi 4 is a transverseseotion through the va ve. Fig. 5 isa verticalsection showing a mechanical'device'for controlling the' perfo'ratingmechanism yby the" movement of a hammer of the piano-action`."' Fig. 6is a vertical section showingan electrical device for controlling theperforating mechanism by the movement of ayhammer of the pianoaction. y

.In the drawin s, A represents the frame of a piano; B,key card; G,;'\l'1amn1er of pianoaction; D, stretched strings of iano. These partsVpresent no points of vnove ty.

Mounted on the to 'of the liano is the perforating device, whicl 1s.,con' ained within a case E. This' device, asv showmconsists of a shaftF, .adapted'to be, `driven at constant speed. Mountedloosely'npon thisshaft are a'series of eccentrics G, oarrying'punches H, Between theeccentrics and secured tothe shaft are a `series of toothed wheels'I.Pivoted on each eccentricis a latch J, which 9 when released -is'adapted to coact with a toothed wheel I.

K represents the `feed-roll for the musicstrip; Intake-up roll;.M,drivinoeroll, which receives its motion through mec anismconnected withVthe shaft F.

The' articular features of construction of the per oratingmechanismdescribed are not essential. vAny suitable perforating mechanism may beused. 1

The perforating mechanism shown in l IDS 1, 5, and 6 is the same. InFig. 1 the perlorating mechanism is shown as pneumatical ly controlled,and for this purpose there is arranged a series o't valves N, (one.valve for each punch,) to each of which is connected an arm O, situatedi'ii the path of movement of a hammer C. These valves are normallyclosed and are maintained in the 4closed position by means of springsI?, Figs. 3 and 4. The valves N are connected to the ends oi' tubes Q,which lead to the primary pneumatics It, which in turn control secondarypneumatics S, which control power-pneumatics T,

which control pivoted levers U, adapted to.

coact with latclies J. In Fig. 5 bell-cranks N are substituted for thevalves N; and interposed between the upper arm of each of suchhell-cranks and a lever U'is a cord V. In Fig. bell-cranks N2 areemployed, the upper end of each oi which is adapted to bridge a pair ofcontacts W W in circuit with a magnet X, the core of which, Y, isconnected to ya lever TheI operation of the arrangement shownin Figs. 1,5, and 6 is substantially the same. When an operator strikes a key, ahammer C of the pianoaction illes up and then immediately returns to itsoriginal position unless the operator holds down the key, in which casethe hammer is held up-that is, as

shown in Fig. 2, the hammer strikes a string (position shown m dottedlines) and then rebounds, (position shown in full lines.) The hammer inits movement strikes a valve N or a bell-crank N" N2, as the case maybe, and then a string of the instrument.

lIt will be observed that a hammer in moving upward must move through adefinite distance and that consequently a time interval will'int'ervenebetween the time that a key is struck and the time when the hammeractuates the valve N or bell-crank N N2. When a-valve N or bell-crank Nis actuated, a lever U through the instrumentality of the interposedpneumatic or electric devices is actuated, which permits a latch J tocoact with a toothed wheel I, thus connecting 'an eccentric G to theshaft F and throwing a' punch into operation to perforate the music-`strip passing under it.. It will be observed that the perforatingmechanism shown is entirely separate from the piano-action.

I wish it understood that I do notlimit myself in4 any wise to the valvemechanism or bell-cranksfor'controlling the action of the levers Ufas itwill be understood that many devices may be placed within the path ofmovement of the hammers C of the piano-action and which will have anequivalent function.

I further wish to have it understood that my invention may be employedwith devices other than a piano-in Jfact, with any device where a movingpart serves to actuate avalve or bell-crank or corres onding devices forcontrolling the action o a punch or punches and without in any wiseallecting the mechanical action or force required to operate thedevice-tor instance, a piano-key'neressary to produce the originalimpulse.

It will he seen from the above description that the device is certain inits operationi. e., willrecord every note struck as a valve orbell-crank must necessari ly be operated before a hammer is brought incontact with a string of a piano.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, I claimy A l. A tone producing andrecording instru'- ment, comprising a tone-producing mechanism, arecording mechanism, and a controlling device for the recordingmechanism adapted to. be actuated by the linal driven part of thetone-producing mechanism.

2. A tone producing and recording instrument, comprising atone-producing mechanism, a recording mechanism, and a controllingdevice for the recording mechanism structurally separate fromthetone-producing mechanism, b'ut adapted to be actuated by the finalldriven part thereof. i

3. A tone producing and recording instrument, comprising atone-producing mechanism, 'a recording mechanism, and a controllingdevieefor the recording mechanism situated in the path of movement ofthe final driven part of the tone-producing mechanism, and adapted to beactuated thereby.

4. A tone producing and recording instrument, comprising atone-producing mechanism, a' recording mechanism provided with means forintroducing a time interval between possible successive actions of suchrccording mechanism, and a controlling device for the recordingmechanism structurally separated from but adapted to be actuated by thefinal driven part oi' the tone-producing mechanism.

5. A tone producing and recording instrument, comprising atone-producing mechanism, having a keyboard'and moving parts actuatedthereby, a recording mechanism,

l and controlling mechanism for-the recording mechanism, situatedbetween the tone producing and the recording mechanisms, not connectedto the tone-producing mechanism, but in the path of' movement of thefinal driven part thereof.

6. A tone producing and recording instrument, coinprlsing atone-producing mechanism having a .series of moving hammers, a recordingmechanism, and mechanism not connected to'the tone-producing mechanism,butin the path of movement of' the moving hammers for controlling theaction of the recording mechanism,

7. A tone producing and recording instrument comprising a tone-producingmechanism, a recording mechanism provided with means whereby a timeinterval will elapse between the striking of a note by the performer andthe action of the' recording mechanism, and a controlling device for therecording mechanism structurally separated from but adapted to beactuated by the final ing mechanism, and means actuated by the movementofthe hammers of the piano-action forcontrolling themovement of theperforating mechanism.

Y 9. A` tone producing and recording instrument comprising a(piano-action, a perforat-4 ing mechanism, an means actuated by themovement of the hammers of the piano-action for controlling after adei'nite time the movement of the perforating mechanism.

10. A tone producing and recording instru- 'ment comprising a series ofkeys, a series of hammers, a series of controlling devices situated inthe path of movement of the hammers, and a series of punches responsiveto the action of said controlling devices.

' l- 1 1. A tone producing and recording instrument comprising a serieso f keys, a seriesof hammers, a series of pneumatic controlling devicessituated in the path of movement of the hammers, and a series of punchesresponsive to the action of saidcontrolling devices.

12. A tonel producing and recording instrument comprisingapiano-action', a perforating mechanism, and a series ofcontrollingvalves actuated by the hammers of the pianoaction.

13. A tone. producing and recording instrument comprising. apiano-action, a perforat-v ing mechanism, and aseries `ofcontrollingvalves actuated by4 arts of the piano-action which areseparate om butractuated by the keys of such action.I

14. A tone producing and recording instruactuated by the hammers of thepiano-action,

whereby the movements of the perforating mechanisms are controlled. l

15. A tone prod ucing and recording instrument comprising apiano-action, a perforating mechanism, and means actuated by themovefment ofbut not connected to the hammers of the piano-action forcontrolling the movement of the perforating mechanism.

16. A tone producing and recording instrument comprising a iano-a'ction,a perforating mechanism, an( pneumatic mechanism for controlling saidperforating mechanism, not connected to but actuated by, the ham mers ofthe piano-action.

`17. A tone producing and recording instrument comprising a piano-actionhaving as parts thereof1 a keyboard,y and a series of hammers, arecording mechanism, and controllers therefor, actuatedby the movementof the hammers of the piano-action.

18. A tone producing and recording instrument comprising a keyboard, apiano-action, a recording mechanism, a controller therefor which ismechanically separated from the hammer portion of the piano-action, butada ted to be moved by the hammer when the atteris actuated by aperformer in striking a note on the keyboard.

19. A tone'producing and recording instrument, comprising apiano-action, a perforating mechanism, a controlling means for theperforating mechanism actuated by but separated from the piano-actionand located to introduce a time interval between the actuation of thepiano-action and the actuation of the perforating mechanism.

20. A tone producing and recording instrument comprising a piano-action,a recording j device, and controlling means for the recording deviceactuated by the hammers of thel piano-action. y

' In testimony whereof I a'lIix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

